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BACCHUS. 



A HARPER. 



LONDON: 

PUBLISHED FOB THE AUTHOR BY 

EOLYOAKE & Co., 147, FLEET STREET, E.C, 
1862. 



DEDICATED 

TO THE 

itittoercte of 33aris. 






CONTENTS. 

Page 

Dedication 2 

Preface , , 4 

Canto I. — Contrasted Chabms 5 

., II.— Rival Claims , 6 

„ III. — Disruptions 

„ IV. — Doctors and Lawyers— Last Shift ... 8 

„ V.— Disappointments 9 

„ VI.— Swell Attractions 10 

„ VII. — Discomforts — Solace Unabased II 

„ VIII.— Immortal Bacchus! 12 



P RE FATO RY NOTICE 



Popular enthusiasm is sometimes enlisted by imprac- 
ticable attempts to make extremes meet, save as to 
exceptions which just occur often enough to stave off 
despair. Intoxication has afforded inexhaustible stock, 
and its complete extinction is impressed with amiable 
persistence ; it is unceasingly prophesied to come off, 
but never doe3 and never will. Thus the Sot and then 
the abstainer — the world altogether are invoked to join 
Teetotalism, to eschew one great solace of existence 
altogether. But it is beyond hope to expect that we 
yield to negative reluctant virtue, all the lusciousness 
of the festive cup, for ever suppress kindly impulses 
because some who indulge therein outstrip discretion 
or violate propriety. And scarce any other indulgence 
gains more insidiously, more imperceptibly drifts into 
vice, while a middle course is essential to the enjoy- 
ment, adds to the embellishment of life ; without which 
it would be a sterile waste, reft of half its value and 
attraction. To promote the spirit of jollity and bene- 
ficence apart from excess, removed from petty sensitive- 
ness and egotism, regardless of class and creed ; to 
invite refined interchanges, intellectual sociability, 
form* the objects of the following lines. 



©toes ta §aajm 
i. 

CONTRASTED CHARMS. 

" Can her rosy charms surpass 
Yon ruby soul-inspiring glass ? 
Fair and rosy must she be, 
Bacchus, if she rival thee. 
Are the sweets that deck her lip 
Like the dew thy votaries sip ? 
Balmy sweet those lips must be, 
Bacchus, if they rival thee." 

Can her eye of heavenly blue 

The soul with melting glow imbue ? 

Bright her rounded eye must be 

If its fire but rival thee. 

Can pouting lip of coral hue 

All fragrant hearts, like thee, subdue ? 

Luscious, fit for Gods this is, 

If rivalling the cup I kiss ! 

Can her flowing voice delight 
Such as zephyr in its flight ? 
Voice extatic that must be 
If its flow but rival thee. 
" Can the bliss her charms dispense 
Pour oblivion o'er the sense ? 
Sweet oblivion must it be, 
Bacchus, if it rival thee." 

Can her form all grace combine 
To drown the soul in joys divine ? 
Graceful, sparkling must she be, 
Bacchus, if she rival thee. 
" Can her mind, when these forsake her, 
Still a charming goddess make her ?" 
Such a fair, if such there be, 
She alone can rival thee. 



6 
II. 

RIVAL CLAIMS. 



And let her have angelic face, 
Blushing with mellifluous grace ; 
Rich her crimson blush must be, 
Bacchus, if it rival thee. 
Suppose those struck by Cupid's dart, 
Suitors jealous seek her heart ? 
No green-eyed monster troubles me 
When mellow draughts I quaff to thee. 

And when with age her beauty fail, 
Can her waning powers avail ? 
Time, thy homager is he, 
Bacchus, age but ripens thee. 
Her love may fade, get false, or cold, 
And other arms than mine enfold : 
Bacchus cheers unto the death, — % 
True to me to latest breath. 

Then Chloe's heart may smack of guile, 
And frailty lurk beneath her smile : 
Bards and sages grave agree 
That glowing candour reigns with thee 
Perchance my tyrant grows too fond, 
Relentless tightens love's sweet bond : 
Thy ties can no devotement scare — 
In Bacchus' bond I'm free as air. 

Than the gorgeous God of day 
Gentle Luna, scarce so gay : 
Bacchus revels paint as bright 
The radiance of the Queen of night. 
And love, when cares and storms assail, 
May fly, may forfeit troth, may quail : 
With turmoils Bacchus ne'er contends — 
Resigned, to every blast he bends. 



III. 

DISRUPTIONS. 



She may be bent, as oft her sex, 

To tantalise, delighted vex : 

When did glorious Bacchus tease, 

When refuse his vassals ease ? 

She may coquette, my honor sell, 

May hesitate than plots repel : 

No subtle mask brave Bacchus wears, — 

He unctious soothes my racking cares. 

She too my purse-strings may command, 
Its lining sack enraged or bland : 
When did Bacchus selfish rage 
But rather sordid strifes assuage ? 
She may a settlement demand, 
Or straight my burning suit withstand : 
The grateful hours I've spent with thee. 
Required no pledge or spoil from me. 

She strong may flirt, then laugh it off, 
And at my sore impeachments scoff: 
How thee I long when thus distressed 
To calm the tumults of my breast. 
Dear Chloe may sad debts contract, 
And dunners grim my love distract : 
What anodyne when wolves molest ? 
To thee I fly for halcyon rest ! 

She wily may my fame attaint, 
Sue for divorcement like a saint : 
'Tis Bacchus' pride to purge deceit, 
In gen'rous race alone compete. 
She e'en may be pollution's self, 
Seek self-indulgence gross, and pelf; 
Who can thy sons of polished breed 
In amity refined exceed ? 



IV. 
DOCTORS & LAWYERS— LAST SHIFT. 

She might have ailings, fidgets, ills, 
Be plied by blisters, drafts, drops, pills ; 
And pliant doctor might attend, 
Devise complaints and feign to mend : 
Her hippish work, his purse to fill, 
Whence shove in " visits," then long bill : 
Would that the world in wisdom grew, 
And virtues from thy fountains drew. 

And dying she might be for dress, 
Nor heed my straits or lorn distress : 
No modern fripperies, Bacchus, thine, 
But unadorned thy gifts best shine. 
She might to travelling be disposed 
'Mongst strangers, rather feted, glozed : 
In quietude I best thee taste, 
Than time and coin in roving waste. 

She might in broils intense engage 
The unruly member, slanders wage ; 
My name involve in thriftless debt, 
Whence lawyer tugs — full hungry set ; 
Some sample base put on my track, 
A low, relentless, fleecing hack : 
Consoled by thee I need not fret, 
Thrice happy to such toils forget. 

She might for balls and parties sigh, 
To rising beauties all out- vie ; 
Insipid deem her bup of joy, 
Unless when brimming pleasures cloy ; 
Get demirep to gambling prone, 
Her all to fatal vortex thrown : 
Rebuking, I escape her wrath — 
Thy cheer with flowers strews my path. 



^c 



DISAPPOINTMENTS. 



She all my pains to check may scout, 
Corrupted, every kindness flout; 
Ingratitude, a curse more strong 
Than Gallic ruler's armed throng, 
Scarce e'en his treason dies so hard ; 
And thus held Avon's priceless Bard : 
When did Bacchus ingrate turn, 
Than rather faithless rubbish spurn ? 

She may to treachery incline, 
Betray me, or my cause malign ; 
Delilah fashion court my foes, 
How best reduce my strength disclose ; 
By small degrees get leavened, all, 
Arch-traitor shows of deadly gall : 
Thou canst not treach'rous swindles play, 
Thy heart is open as the day. 

Av'rice may her soul entice, 
With bigot-zeal to cloak the vice ; 
She eke may think repentance wins 
Forgiveness to refresh her sins ; 
And while repines at dreary fate, 
Views mundane happiness with hate : 
When did Bacchus gay repine, 
When vengeful chafe o'er gen'rous wine ? 

She might to forms of faith be slave, 
Insist her own best truants save, 
And only charities extend 
When for her tenets we contend ; 
Forgetful that to cherish all 
Is true Religion's glorious call : 
Thy power like Phoebus' unconfined, 
Doth Earth in glowing kindred bind. 



10 

VI. 

SWELL ATTRACTIONS. 



These Rifle Corps the Isle surprise, 
To feuds invite and Gaul chastise ; 
Converting Johnny Raw to Gent, 
And blazing fighting swell foment ; 
Till Hero and Adonis taught, 
My sweet their patroness is sought : 
Bacchus rabid fumes dispels, 
And glories most as discord quells. 

Yes, the fever has my Chloe hit, 
With martial furor sudden bit ; 
My hearth loud rings with busy cares, 
She colours for the Corps prepares, 
And would class warriors fain array 
To swagger for a wanton fray : 
Thy founts such subtle fevers heal 
While lethean o'er the senses steal. 

She may get coy, pretend to mope, 
Advantage take whereby to slope : 
When is jolly Bacchus coy, 
When his nectar bright alloy ? 
She may in politics engage, 
And woman-suffrage poz presage: 
When did gentle Bacchus toil, 
Except to reconcile all broil ? 

She too may sporting feats promote, 
To racing, hunting, time devote ; 
In archery may all out-shine, 
Where flares her figure all divine, 
The rather than such routs dismiss, 
For rural and domestic bliss : 
Great Bacchus all such feats eschews, 
His balm my parching lip bedews. 



11 

VII. 
DISCOMFORTS: SOLACE UNABASED. 



Again I chide, and off she goes, 
When secrets ooze that mock my woes : 
Thy leaky secrets cure my pains, 
The wretch from Chloe's bonds unchains. 
She may a penitent return — 
Conflicting passions, rend and burn : 
Save tipplers who blue ruin wed, 
No penitents thy cloisters tread. 

Misanthrope she may turn all gloom, 
Embitter life when troubles loom : 
No troubles thy glad fane infest, 
If sprites arise, with Hope still blest. 
And what if poisoned my brief life 
With nurses, babies, squalling strife ? 
Refreshed by thee I ne'er complain : 
Thy dulcet juices chase all pain. 

But Temperance hail, my love control, 
To due restrain the ardent soul, 
To e'er consult thy meet acquaint, 
Nor heed the reckless bibber's plaint : 
I happy that Pandora's charge 
That did the ills of life enlarge, 
When she her box long erst did ope, 
Contained thy blithe precursor Hope. 

Apollo follows in thy train, 

Though bigots propped by sots arraign : 

Bacchus' joys the muse gay fires 

Genial sympathy inspires ; 

With magic spell the lyre commands 

The Earth in festive friendship hands ; 

Save where abased thy favours shown, 

The world, the exultant world's thy own! 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



12 
VIII. 




001 524 952 3 * 



IMMORTAL BACCHUS. 

Must Life be fyapless whirled away, 

And cares alone disturb the day; 

What, shun the genial fluids all 

Because some w r eaker natures fall ; 

Because gross appetites unchecked 

More rav'nous grow, more hopeless wrecked ; 

Because that rakes life's cheer abuse 

Must stronger wills fair share refuse ? 

Because the frail no cravings rein 
Drift to extremes as habits gain ; 
Because so few have slackened pace, 
And converts sparse their steps retrace ; 
Because that scant examples prove 
To vice reclaim, e'en victims move : 
Must these conflicting checks avail, 
Must casual bans 'gainst bliss prevail ? 

As well expect pale Freedom's Sun 
To smile on Treason's triumphs won ; 
Expect to see State spoilers strive 
To free voice grant to Bees of Hive ; 
See Pomp and Greed repentant sigh, 
To Labour honor, than deicry ; 
As cherished instincts still or mar — 
As glorious Bacchus' joys debar. 

As well to strike from Curse of Gaul 
One gen'rous spark to fire his soul ; 
As well remould his venomed mind 
Whence gallant friend than harpy find, 
Wrought to assassin-crimes redress 
Whence felon Pet of Pam may bless ; 
As fond proclivities dispel — 
As Bacchus, monarch-loved, repel ! 



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